Thursday, April 23, 2009

The Graduate - A mentee update!

Longtime readers know that this bitch is a mentor. My sister C-Money is also a mentor and her mentee is my mentee’s older sister.

I have shared a lot of our mentoring experiences…the good, the bad and Lawd have mercys…and I want to thank folks again for offering advice and encouragement through the years.

C-Money’s mentee has struggled with a lot of shit. She is a mother…a sister…a daughter…and she takes all of that seriously. She is also a student and has demonstrated amazing strength as she juggles poverty, parenting, school and work with little assistance from the system and a lot of drama from multiple sources.

Well, y’all…this May Ms. C-Money’s Mentee will be a high school graduate!

Oh shit, there goes the mascara.

Pause…sniffle…continue.

I am so very proud of her!

And I am beyond proud of C-Money for mentoring without the guarantee of academic success or some 'big moment' huge accomplishment. She’s a great big sister and put those skills to work…big time!

As an activist who works with teen mothers and young women who live in poverty and with want, there aren’t a lot of traditional celebratory moments. I have learned to celebrate other things…a month of perfect attendance at school, getting and keeping a job, completing parenting classes or just making it through a difficult day. Those celebrations are precious in a way I would have never imagined they would be.

This rather traditional high school graduation celebration will be precious too.

It’s been a challenging week for my family of friends for reasons I won't get into.

But there is hope that things do get better...that our support and love of each other will get us through tough times...and that we will celebrate making it through the difficult days together.

C-Money’s mentee will have new decisions and choices to make post-graduation...and she will continue to have our support and advice.

For now, she’s gotta get ready to walk up and accept the diploma she sure as shit earned.

I am so happy for that young woman. To make with all those odds in front of her shows so much strength and that she gets that she is worth it. Her life and goals are worth fighting and striving for. I hope she continues to believe in herself. That is what is takes to make it through this mystery that is life, belief and courage. Best wishes to her in all of her endeavors.